Once in a Lifetime
by SageK
Summary: Late Spring, 2014 Sam auditions for a role in a TV show and Blaine comes along for moral support…and that's just the beginning of their adventure!
1. The Audition

**Title:** Once in a Lifetime Chapter 1

**By:** blaineandsamevanderson (SageK here, kaitlia777 on LJ and AO3)

**Amazing art on Tumblrby**: lauraperfectinsanity

**Paring:** Blaine/Sam

**Rating:** PG – So far

**Summary: **Late Spring, 2014 Sam auditions for a role in a TV show and Blaine comes along for moral support…and that's just the beginning of their adventure!

* * *

"Dude, look at all these guys!" Sam whispered urgently, leaning close to speak directly into Blaine's ear. "I should just go home. There's no way I'll get the part."

Smiling reassuringly, Blaine laid his hands on Sam's forearms. "Sam, you have as much of a chance as any one of these guys. More! You were meant to be Teddy!"

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was about to wrap up its first, highly successful season and they were casting for a few recurring characters that would debut in season 2. It took approximately .003 seconds for fandom to realize that the two major roles they were looking to fill were Teddy Altman and Billy Kaplan.

Sam, who had been booking steady modeling jobs and some work in commercials, decided he had to at least try to audition and so, on the day they were looking for a potential Teddy in NYC (they had been casting for Billy the day before), he braved the open call.

As Blaine was nearly done with his first year of classes at NYADA (which impressed him far less than Kurt and Rachel), he accompanied Sam to the audition to provide moral support. It was kind of their thing. Their habit of supporting and encouraging each other had carried over from high school, intensifying, if possible, as Sam was there for Blaine all through the crushing, final implosion of his relationship with Kurt and Blaine always bolstered Sam's sense of self worth, which occasionally took hits from thoughtless members of the modeling industry.

Really, who in their right mind could look at Sam's abs and call him fat?

As usual, Sam seemed to relax at Blaine's calming reassurance and he offered him a tentative smile. "Really?"

"Really," Blaine confirmed, then, as a woman walked past them into the casting room beyond, he offered, "Want to run through your lines again?"

They spent the next couple of hours running Sam's lines together and talking as an assistant called names and actor after actor disappeared into the back room. When Sam's name was called, Blaine gave his hand a squeeze as he got up to follow the woman into the casting room.

God, he hoped Sam got the part! Sure, it would suck when he went out to LA to film, but he'd come back and it was such a good opportunity….

Ten minutes later, the assistant popped her head out again and called, "Blaine Anderson?"

Well, that was a surprise.

"Yes?" he asked curiously, not sure why they would even know his name.

She gestured at him. "Come with me."

Confused, Blaine straightened his red Iron Man t-shirt, shouldered his messenger bag and stood, feeling the eyes of all the big, blond, muscular men in the waiting room following him, clearly wondering what the hell he was doing. He was pretty much the opposite of the type listed on the casting call sheet for Teddy.

He entered the room, where Sam was standing before table, where a man and three women sat. Blaine almost tripped when he recognized two of them, Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon's brother, and Maurissa Tancharoen (Oh God, she had walked past them in the waiting room and he hadn't recognized her!). They were two of the show's executive producers and writers and happened to be married.

"Hello," he said brightly, automatically drifting toward Sam. "I'm Blaine Anderson and I'm not auditioning for the role of Teddy Altman, so a little confused."

Sam grinned at him and touched his elbow lightly as Maurissa said, "We'd like you to read with Mr. Evans here. I saw you two running the scene in the waiting room."

That was unexpected, but he nodded. "Oh, yes, of course."

"We casting for Billy as well, but we're having a bit of an issue finding someone," Jed added with a grin. "Sam here says you're a performer too… Most talented guy he knows. Do you have a headshot and any interest in auditioning for the role of Billy?"

He really had auditioned for many television or movie roles, but this was Marvel. This was Billy Kaplan! "Yes and I totally am," he said quickly, fishing his headshot out of his bag and handing it over.

"NYADA," one of the other women said thoughtfully as she read over his resume. "Very impressive."

"Thank you," he replied and the as yet unnamed woman waved a script at him.

Once Blaine had it in hand, she said, "Run through the scene together, if you will."

They'd run the scene so many times that Blaine didn't need the script. He knew he and Sam could be these roles.

_Nerves running high, Billy gasped when a strong hand grasped his arm, tugging him out of the bustling hall and into the janitor's closet._

"_Relax," Teddy's familiar voice said and Billy felt some of his tension beach away._

_Some of the tension._

"_Relax? How the heck am I supposed to relax, Teddy?" He asked, gesturing grandly. "I knew someone was going to start poking around after I fried half of the computer lab last week and you caught that jumper by the science wing. I mean, yeah, not like you could let that girl die and I prevented a nasty computer virus from being let loose, but still…."_

"_Billy," Teddy said, placing big, warm, comforting hands on Billy shoulders. "It's going to be okay. We didn't do anything. We're just a couple of high school kids. People will lose interest really fast. We just have to play it cool… Especially around those new substitutes."_

"_Oh, you get a weird feeling off of them too?" Billy asked. "I swear, it felt like Ms. May was looking right into my soul during Lit!"_

_Teddy nodded somberly. "Yeah. Gym teachers are normally a little too into dodgeball, but Mr. Ward kept going on about it being war and strategy and angles of attack...Just a little too much to be a normal teacher."_

"_So, no trusting the subs?"_

"_No," Teddy agreed, squeezing Billy's arms and looking him in the eye. "It's you and me. I've got your back, you've got mine, right?" Their eyes met in something changed in the air, the fear and slightly frantic moment shifted into something personal and intense. Teddy's thumb brushed over Billy's bicep as he reaffirmed, "You and me."_

"_Yeah," Billy said, voice shaking slightly, but not with fear, fingers coming up to wrap in the fabric of Teddy's soft, plaid shirt. "You and me."_

They held that pose for a long beat before breaking character and smiling broadly at each other, turning back to the casting agents, were peering at them intently. After a few seconds Jed nodded. "Okay. Very nice. Thank you, boys. You'll be hearing from us within the next couple of weeks."

Thanking them for their time, Blaine and Sam exited the room, walking a number of feet down the hall before stopping and turning to each other. "Oh my God, what just happened?" Blaine asked, peering up at Sam, who looked equally stunned.

"I don't know," he said, sounding breathless. "I did the read through with them and then Maurissa said she'd seen me practicing with you out in the waiting room and asked your name. And then they called you in!"

"Well, it went pretty well," Blaine said with a smile. "I don't want to jinx anything, but wouldn't it be awesome if we…."

Sam beamed at him. "Totally awesome!"

* * *

"Those two," Jed said with certainty and soon as Sam Evans and Blaine Anderson left the room and the door was firmly closed. "Them. They're it."

"Told you," Maurissa said, smiling triumphantly. "When I saw them out in the waiting room they weren't practicing the script. They were just talking to each other and they were perfect."

Sitting back in her chair, Sarah nodded. "After the absolute lack of appropriate Billy candidates, I'm thrilled."

"We still have to see the other young men here to read for Teddy, but after that….," Tamara added, trailing off as everyone present nodded in agreement.

"We have our Billy and Teddy," Jed concluded, pulling out his phone to text Joss.

TBC….


	2. A Super Happy Birthday

**Title:** Once in A Lifetime Chapter 2

**By:** blaineandsamevanderson (SageK here, kaitlia777 on LJ and AO3)

**Graphics and Assistant Brain-Stormer**: lauraperfectinsanity

**Paring:** Blaine/Sam

**Rating:** PG

**Summary: **Late Spring, 2014 Sam auditions for a role in a TV show and Blaine comes along for moral support…and that's just the beginning of their adventure!

* * *

It was official, his 19th birthday was pretty much a loss. None of his friends had so much as wished him a happy birthday and he'd spent the day on a strange, 'artistic' photo shoot, slathered in latex and body glitter.

He thought he'd left his body glitter days behind him when he'd retired from stripping.

Trudging down the hall, he pulled open the door to the loft he shared with Blaine, looking forward to sulkily eating some gelato.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Sam jumped as a wave of shouts greeted him and he gaped at the small crowd and bright party decorations. A broad grin spread across his face as he peered around, taking it all in. "Guys, you didn't have to do this!"

"Of course we did," Rachel said, swooping in for a hug.

Kurt followed her, offering, "It was mostly Blaine's doing."

Following Blaine and Kurt's break-up, things in the loft had been pretty tense, though the pair did their best to remain friends. It was simply hard to heal and move on when they were constantly tripping over each other and things had become much smoother once Blaine and Sam jumped at the chance to move into the recently vacated space across the hall. Having their own space was much more relaxing than trying to keep to the bunk bed/attached dresser Sam had built when Blaine had stopped sleeping with Kurt.

Right now, that space was pretty full and Sam made his way through the small crowd to fold his arms around Blaine. "Dude, this is awesome!" he breathed into Blaine's ear, glancing at the spread of snacks (including a veggie platter) and the big, round cake decorated to look like Captain America's shield.

There was music playing, people were chatting and dancing and Sam enjoyed making his way around the room to say hello to everyone, but, as always, kept drifting back to Blaine. "You know, I thought you forgot it was my birthday," he admitted as they made their way into the kitchen area for drinks. Thinking Blaine had forgotten had made him more depressed than anything.

Blaine turned to him and gave him a soft, fond smile. "I'd never forget you, Sam."

That simple statement warmed Sam and he swooped in for another hug, one that lingered.

* * *

"They're a sweet couple," Thom, one of Kurt's friends (why he was at Sam's party, Santana had no clue), said, causing Kurt to roll his eyes and Santana to chuckle.

"They are," she said. "They just don't know it."

"Wait…So they're not together?" Chloe, one of Sam's model friends, asked. "Cuz we all just assumed…I mean, look at them….."

"Sam is straight," Kurt put in coolly. "I tried. He wasn't interested."

Santana heaved a sigh. "Kurt, that was back when your idea of flirting was inviting him to sing a duet with you with no subtext that said, 'Let's sing then please suck my dick.'"

As she spoke, she looked over at Sam and Blaine, who were still hugging (surprise! Not.), Blaine's happy little face turned into Sam's neck.

"Cake!" Kurt suddenly called out, a little too loud and a little too shrill. "Cake time!"

Santana was pretty sure there was something more to that than his love of baked goods.

* * *

The cake was incredible, White Chocolate with buttercream frosting, which made Sam laugh, and everyone tried some (well, some of his fellow models abstained) before it was time for presents.

There were a lot of gift cards and alcohol, which wasn't unexpected as he wasn't super close with most of the people there. In fact, there were only a handful of actual, physically wrapped presents.

When Sam picked up a slim box wrapped in silver paper, Elliott piped up, "That's from me!"

Peeling back the paper (he used to just rip it, but Blaine liked to keep it for crafts), Sam found himself looking at a half pan of Sennelier water colors. "Dude, these are amazing!" he breathed, then blinked. "And expensive. I can't…."

Elliott shook his head. "Look at the tin. It's dented in a bunch of places. The paint is fine, but the art store had it on deep discount."

"Thank you!" Sam replied, throwing his arms around the other young man. "Seriously, I can't wait to use them!"

His response seemed to please Elliott, who grinned as Sam picked up the next box. It was from Dani and contained a box of 10 80/20 bronze Martin Acoustic Guitar Strings. "Dani, thank you!" he said and, before he could continue, she held up a hand.

"Musician's Friend Website," she said with a grin. "Got them at like ¼ retail price. It's a need to know site."

She too got a hug.

"All right, all right, hands offa my girl," Santana laughed, shoving her present into Sam's hands. "Time for some fun!"

He did get a good laugh out of the singing Billy the Big Mouth Bass. The novelty fish was even wearing a custom made plaid shirt.

The newest anthology volume of The Walking Dead graphic novel was an awesome gift from Artie.

"You're going to love my present!" Rachel said, pressing a slim box into Sam's palm.

Inside were a pair of tickets to The Pirate Queen, a musical Rachel was currently in rehearsals for. "I'm told my grace is a revelation," she said enthusiastically. "You'll love it."

"I'm sure I will," he said, giving her a warm hug. "Thanks, Rach."

Honestly, he probably would have gone to see her play at some point, just be supportive, so it wasn't like he wouldn't use the tickets.

The box Kurt presented him with was much larger and Sam unwrapped it to find a very lovely cashmere sweater in a deep emerald color. When sleeve was black, clearly some fashion statement Sam didn't understand. "It's gorgeous, Kurt. Thank you."

Kurt preened as Sam carefully set the box aside, wondering where he'd wear such a thing. Fancy clothes made him nervous, constantly afraid was going to spill something on himself.

"Happy birthday, Sam," Blaine said, handing Sam a small box and looking a little nervous.

Smiling, Sam opened the package and his breath caught in his throat. It was his grandfather's watch, something the man he given to Sam years ago, just before his death. The only reason he hadn't had to sell it during his family's financial crisis was that it had been broken, the glass missing long before it came into Sam's possession and not very expensive to begin with. It was purely sentimental trinket.

Obviously, Blaine had snuck it out of Sam's drawer and taken it to be fixed. "Blaine," he murmured, gently touching the glass covered face. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to keep the tears at bay, he looked at Blaine and breathed, "Thank you. This is…."

He couldn't find the words and merely pulled Blaine into sniffly hug. The returning embrace was just as warm and Blaine murmured, "I thought you'd like to be able to wear it."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, calling back to remove the watch from the box and fasten it around his wrist. He looked down at it for a moment before folding Blaine into another long hug.

* * *

"You sure they're not boyfriends?"

"Well… They don't know they are."

"Santana!" Kurt basically howled and she rolled her eyes as he continued to refuse to see what _everyone _else could.

Over in oblivious (B)romance land, Sam had managed to unwind one long arm from around Blaine to answer his phone. He was speaking slow and quiet and Blaine was gazing up at him with an excited expression. After a few minutes, Sam handed the phone to Blaine.

Well, that was a little odd, so Santana chose to drift closer.

"Yes…" Blaine was saying, obviously stunned. "Yes… I don't actually have one… Could you send that to Sam's agent?… Thank you so much! I look forward to seeing you soon!"

When he hung up the phone, they both paused for a second, simply staring at each other… Before shouting and flinging their arms around each other, jumping around like fools as they hugged.

That definitely got everyone's attention.

"What happened?" Rachel asked, appearing at Santana's elbow.

"We got Billy and Teddy!" Blaine shouted to her, grinning like a madman even as he and Sam stopped leaping around and settled for bouncing. "Oh my God!"

"I know!" Sam breathed, eyes shining and Santana had to smile. They were so happy.

"Hey, when you two go out to LA film your gay superhero show, can I stay in your apartment?" She asked, stepping forward to give them a congratulatory hug.

Behind her, Kurt clucked his tongue. "Santana, you are a lesbian. You have to stop using gay as a negative descriptor… And congratulations, Sam, Blaine!"

"Thanks," Sam said as Santana released them and Rachel promptly wrapped herself around them. "But our characters are actually gay."

"We talked about this last Sunday when we all had brunch," Blaine said, but he couldn't wait to the elated grin off his face even though she could tell he wanted to look put out over the fact that Kurt clearly hadn't been paying attention when they had talked about their audition.

But, back to pressing concerns.

"So… Can I apartment sit?"

* * *

"Sure, Santana," Sam laughed, disentangling himself from Rachel and accepting a glass of champagne from Elliott, who slapped him on the back companionably.

She smirked. "And I promise, nothing weirder will happen here than the things I seen you two getting up to."

From her teasing tone, Sam knew she was referencing the time she walked into the darkened apartment to find them having a light saber duel... Really though, what else were glow-in-the-dark condoms for? It wasn't anything sexual, they just got carried away and it wasn't like they had never seen each other's cocks before in the locker room….

"Thanks for that consideration," Blaine was saying, then he turned to Sam eagerly. "I have them send information to your agent… My bit parts haven't required one until now. Do you think she - your agent is a she, right? - will take me on? Who is your agent, by the way?"

With a slightly embarrassed smile, Sam said, "Well… I know this is going to sound weird, but… Kitty."

"Kitty? Kitty Wilde?" Blaine asked, clearly startled.

"That's my girl!" Artie crowed. "But seriously, how did that happen?"

Heaving a sigh, Sam said, "Well, back in September, I booked a job at an open call and I was having a mini meltdown trying to go over the contract and you guys were all really busy… So, when Kitty called I may have freaked out a little. She told me to send her the PDF and went over it, told me there were some issues I needed to address and that I needed an agent. I didn't think I could get one, so I asked her if she wanted the job. She's actually really, really good."

Blaine blinked at him for a moment before nodding. "Okay… I can actually see her being good at that."

Frowning, Rachel said, "Are you sure? I could put a good wording with my agent. He's very exclusive, but he might be willing to take you on!"

"I'm good, Rach," Sam assured her and Santana shook her head, fondly muttering something that sounded like weirdos.

"So, you two are going to play a couple, huh?" Dani teased with a gentle smile.

"We're…," Blaine began, but was interrupted.

"You two are playing a couple? That… That's not… Sam isn't gay!" Kurt sputtered and Sam frowned, not really knowing why he seemed so upset.

"Acting, Kurt. It's called acting," Blaine said quickly and Sam nodded.

"Besides, I'd totally rather kiss Blaine than some stranger," he reasoned. Kissing his best friend had to be less awkward, right?

A flush rose on Blaine's cheeks and he replied, "Yeah, I'd totally rather kiss you too."

Artie started another round toasts then that totally drowned out Santana's bemused snorts and Kurt's grumbles. Not that anything was going to bring Sam down tonight.

He and Blaine had been cast on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!

TBC…


	3. Moving on out to LA

**Title:** Once in A Lifetime Chapter 3

**By:** blaineandsamevanderson (SageK here, kaitlia777 on LJ and AO3)

**Graphics and Assistant Brain Stormer**: lauraperfectinsanity

**Paring:** Blaine/Sam

**Rating:** PG

**Summary: **Late Spring, 2014 Sam auditions for a role in a TV show and Blaine comes along for moral support…and that's just the beginning of their adventure!

Authors Notes: The hotel Sam and Blaine stay at is fictional. The room itself is based on rooms at the Eastern Inns in North Conway, NH. As a child, we stayed there several times a year during ski trips and it was always very nice.

* * *

"I'm just saying, if you want to be taken seriously as a performer you can't go attaching yourself to some silly, low budget television show that will undoubtedly be cancelled within 10 minutes of airing. Turning down the part would show a new level of maturity because I know how much you love your comics, Blaine, the type of maturity I might consider dating again…."

Blaine looked up from where he and Sam were finishing packing their final boxes to be shipped to LA (Santana agreed to send them next week after they found an apartment) and exchanged a slightly horrified look with the blond. How could Kurt call Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. silly and low budget? "Answering last to first…No, Kurt, we are not revisiting the idea of dating again. You and I both know that would be a massive set back in our personal growth…And Sam and I have been cast on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! It's just finished its spectacularly successful first season, Kurt. Not going to be cancelled anytime soon."

With a grin, Sam held out his hand for their special handshake, which Blaine happily returned. Kurt rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to comment, but was cut off by Santana striding into the apartment, a pleased smirk on her face, looking far too awake in spite of the fact that she was wearing her pjs, a silky camisole and shorts.

She brandished her phone, crowing, "TMZ! You two have been all over the media sites since they released your names and the roles you were filling on S.H.I.E.L.D. The gossip rags love you!"

"Why?" Sam asked, sounding very puzzled. "We haven't done anything interesting."

"Hmmm, let's see…Two smoking hot unknowns (who just happen to be roommates and high school besties) get cast on a major network TV show playing gay teenage superheroes," she mused, eyes still on the article on her phone. "Oh, this one's going in my scrapbook. They're pretty blatantly hinting that you two are a real life couple. The people think you're a switch hitter, Trouty!"

Kurt snorted. "That's ridiculous, Santana. You know Sam's into girls, not guys. Sam, you have to release a statement to clarify this or else people are going to assume…."

"Actually," Sam piped up from where he was taping a box shut, "I'm bisexual…or omnisexual. Whatever, you know? It's the person inside, not the parts outside."

Blaine blinked and turned to face Sam, suddenly realizing something. "Oh…OH! Your friend Isaac! You were actually dating him, not bro-dating!"

Sam nodded, seeming surprised. "Dude, I thought you knew!"

"Somehow, I am not surprised by this news, flopping down on the couch with a grin. "Kurt, you want to weigh in on this?"

"You're not gay, Sam," Kurt insisted, sounding irritated and put upon. "Honestly, if you were attracted to men, you would have realized it when you hit puberty."

Closing his eyes, Blaine sighed. Lovely. Another foray into the land of bi-phobia with Kurt as their tunnel vision tour guide.

Seemingly oblivious to Kurt's mood, Sam shrugged. "Dude, not everyone knows who and what they like right away. Sexuality is fluid...but honestly, I kind of figured it out when I was 16. I was just more focused on particular girls at the time and I wasn't sure how to bring it up. I mean, do you know there are some bigots who think bisexuality doesn't exist?"

Blaine's eyes widened and he exchanged a look with Santana, who also obviously knew the proverbial shit was about to hit the fan. She just grinned widely and mouthed, '_Where's the popcorn_?'

"Because it doesn't!" Kurt snapped, face going red. "It's a phase for girls who are afraid of having sex with men and an excuse for gay men who aren't ready to be out!"

Frowning, Sam said, "No. As a bisexual guy, I can say that's not true. Cock is great, but not everyone wants it all the time and some don't want it at all."

Kurt rubbed his forehead and heaved a sigh. "Look, Sam, you're a sweet guy. Clearly, someone took advantage of that and you're confused..."

"This conversation is insulting, Dude," Sam interrupted. "I'm not confused. I like nice boobs and big dicks...I've had the chance to get to know both options and it's all good."

"You weren't so anti-bi when Rough Trade Santa was trying to get all up in your business, Kurt," Santana said, raising a brow at Kurt, who glared at her and went a shocking shade of red.

"That's not the point!"

"I…really don't even want to know what you two are talking about," Blaine said, not wanting to prolong the conversation. If they didn't push the Rough Trade Santa thing (and Blaine was so texting Santana later for the details), Kurt might let the whole conversation drop. He didn't like when the topic veered too far out of his control.

"Knock, knock!"

Blaine looked over at the door in surprise to see Elliott pushing Artie into the apartment, followed by pajama clad Rachel and Dani, who were carrying trays of coffee.

At 5:47 on a Sunday morning and their apartment was full of their friends, most of whom looked like they had just rolled out of bed. The girls were in their pajamas, Artie had on sweats and a t-shirt, Elliott had cargo shorts and a T. Sam, like Blaine, was dressed for the flight they would soon be boarding in jeans, t-shirts and sneakers. Kurt was the only actually dressed for a normal day, his skinny jeans, crisp Oxford shirt and vest impeccable.

"You guys!" Sam said, clearly touched. "You all didn't have to come over this morning!"

Rachel tutted at him. "It's your grand send off…at least until you come back in a couple of months!"

"Our appearances are going to be spread out over the course of the season and we're going to be in more than ½ of the episodes," Blaine told her. "We won't be back full time until the season wraps…longer if they extend our contracts!"

She nodded placidly. "Of course," she said but there was clear doubt in her words. Rachel, like Kurt, seemed to think the show was doomed to fail and didn't understand that it was a proven hit.

"Okay, okay, lemme speak!" Santana said, grabbing her coffee cup and raising it in a toast. "Sam, Blaine, some of us have known you for a few years now. Trouty, we watched you go from a badly bleached Bieber look alike who once acted as my beard to a swivel hipped, glitter covered insecure boy stripper to a long haired, 8-pack having model/actor. Blaine, you went from dapper, acapella dreamboat to an accessory boyfriend with a debilitating hair gel addiction to a student/performer at NYADA who so impressed the casting people that he got a role he didn't even mean to audition for. You're both about to start living the dream and I hope to God you kick ass out in LA, because I really want to keep living here for more than a year! Rock it, Blam!"

A few grumbles from Kurt were drowned out by the cheers from everyone else as they clinked mugs and Dani laughed, "Just promise us that you won't forget us when you become big TV stars!"

"Never," Sam promised, pulling her into a one armed hug. Blaine thought Sam would probably miss Dani most of all, as the two of them had bonded over a mutual love of guitar. The fact that she was not at all attracted to Sam seemed to be a relief to him and Blaine realized that Sam, for all his typically boyish tendencies, liked hanging around with girls. When Rachel flirted or Santana made a comment that sexualized him, that was when Sam tensed, but with Dani he seemed to relax.

After they finished their coffee, everyone walked them down to meet their cab and hugs were again exchanged. A few tears were shed as they bundled into the car, waving until they lost sight of the group, still on the sidewalk in front of the lofts.

Even at the early hour, JFK was a mad house. Blaine couldn't imagine how much of a hassle dealing with baggage would have been and made a mental note to thank his parents again. When he had called to tell them about being cast as Billy and heading to LA, they had upgraded his and Sam's jetBlue tickets from coach to Mint and set them up with Bags VIP. They just had to leave their bags at the Bags VIP counter and when they got to their hotel, their luggage would be there waiting for them.

Of course, they each had carry on bags, but they made it through airport security without any incident. Then they had the pleasure of hiking through the terminal. "I think our gate is as far as it could possibly be from the entrance," Blaine mumbled as they finally reached Gate 39, Terminal 5.

"Well, now that we know where our gate is and since we're here early, want to walk back and grab some breakfast?" Sam asked, tossing a thumb back toward any number of the restaurants and food vendors they had passed.

More coffee did sound good, but Blaine didn't want to stray far from the gate, so they got into the line by the closest Dunkin Donuts. After a long wait, they ordered a Large Caramel Mocha Iced Latte with an Egg White and Turkey Sausage Flatbread for Blaine and a Large Black Iced Tea with an Egg White Veggie Flatbread for Sam before taking their treats back to the uncomfortable plastic chairs to wait for boarding.

Just before 9am, a jetBlue employee announced that they were beginning to board Mint passengers, passengers in need of boarding assistance and passengers with small children. They got a few funny looks from the other Mint passengers, who were all either business men or wearing clothes that shrieked MONEY, but that was easily ignored as they settled into their plush seats.

"Wow, this is different than when we flew to LA for Nationals," Sam commented and Blaine grimaced, remembering how Sam's long limbs had been crammed into coach for that trip.

With a grin, Blaine said, "They lay down, so if you want to take a nap once we take off you can do so in comfort." As he spoke, he stuck his iPhone in the charging station before passing Sam his carry on to stow in the overhead compartment. They settled into the chairs and Blaine had to chuckle at the look of satisfaction on Sam's face when he stretched his legs out.

Of course, extra leg room didn't make the take off any more pleasant. Just like on the Nationals trip, Sam grabbed at Blaine's arm, face scrunched as he furiously chewed on gum. Once they reached cruising altitude things settled down though and they fussed with their video screens, deciding to re-watch a few episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 1 as they perused the amenities kits that they each received for flying Mint.

The brown, recycled cardboard boxes had jetBlue Mint printed on them, as well as Birchbox (the company that made the contents) and a few saying like _Fly the Stylish Skies_ and _Welcome to a Newly Minted Experience_. A green band proclaiming BIRCHBOX for jetBlue held the lid on, but was easy to slide off when curiosity got the better of them. Each contained a variety of grooming products, soap, shampoo, body wash and a comb as well as lip balm and a bottle opener and a bunch of other goodies. The only items that were different were the tiny sample bottles of cologne. Sam had received Arquiste L'Etrog, an orangey scent, while Blaine's Cartier Declaration d'un Soir smelled of spices and cedar wood.

Together, they talked about what they planned to do for the next couple of days, trying to keep quiet (which was hard because they were both very excited) as they sipped Ginger Ale. After a few hours, the flight attendant began bringing around lunches. They had chosen their meals ahead of time from the Saxon and Parole menu offered to Mint flyers, so the meals were a sight better than what they'd had the last time they had flown.

Sam nearly inhaled his salad of watermelon, feta and basil with toasted pumpkin seeds and Blaine thought it was pretty amazing too. The main course consisted of a bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato with smoked paprika mayo on a toasted 7-grain bread and an iced Spiced Orange pekoe tea for Sam and Bahn Mi (Crispy pork belly, chili caramel, pickled carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers) with a Bowery Punch (orange and pineapple juice, ginger, lime, nutmeg and Perrier) for Blaine. Instead of a packet of dry cookies, they had warm cinnamon sugar doughnuts with vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate sauce.

Understandably, after a meal like that, they were a little drowsy and, the next thing Blaine knew, Sam was shaking him awake before landing. Again, Sam wasn't fond of that part, but soon they were making their way through LAX and out to a taxi.

Blaine's mother had nearly swallowed her tongue when the word Econo-lodge had passed Sam's lips during a discussion about where they were planning to stay until they found an apartment. She had quickly offered to pay for them to stay at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, but that had made Sam uncomfortable. The East Hills Inn was a compromise, clean and economical and in a great location.

As promised, their bachelor waiting at the hotel when they checked in. It was a nice place, with a pool and sauna, a fitness center and a game room. Their room was a suite, with a small kitchenette and sitting area as well as a bathroom and a bedroom with two queen sized beds.

While Blaine started unpacking some of his clothes, Sam sat on the bed, flopping back onto the mattress. "We are here, dude."

Unable to keep the grin off his face, Blaine turned toward him. "We made it!" He agreed, bouncing onto the bed with Sam. "It's still pretty early. What you want to do?"

"Apartment hunting," Sam said decisively. "I'm not a fan of long-term hotel living."

Well, given his history, that was understandable. Turning onto his side, Blaine lay a hand on Sam's arm, rubbing the curve of his bicep gently. When Sam looked over at him, he smiled and said, "I'll call us a cab."

* * *

The first floor apartment buildings they looked at work a good fit for them. They looked really nice on Zillow, but they were either too large, too posh for just a big old mess.

When they arrived at the North Palms Apartment Complex it was just… Something about the Spanish-style building that felt right. Joanna, the property manager, met them out front and led them up to the unit that would be available in a week.

It wasn't a big place, but Blaine fell in love almost as soon as they stepped through the doors. The floor was the weathered butterscotch oak and the walls a soft cream color. To the right of the door was a decent sized kitchen, with a built-in table, wood cabinets, a refrigerator, dual basin sink, an oven/stovetop and a microwave. The large open room was a combined living space/bedroom and they were sliding doors that let out to a porch and utility room. Another door led into a large walk-in closet, which opened into a tiled bath room with a sink, toilet and shower/bathtub. From the porch, they could see the pool and a small community garden.

"I like it!" Sam said quietly, leaning close to Blaine. "Not a lot of room for beds, but I could totally build a cool bunk-bed, like that one on tumblr."

"The one with the twin on top in the Queen on the bottom and the reading nook and book shelves?" Blaine asked, totally able to picture that in the space. Neither of them were in the habit of bringing dates home (not to have sex, at least), so he wasn't worried about the lack of privacy.

Sam nodded eagerly. "And it's really close to the studio… I don't know what it is, I just like this place."

And that was how they found their home in Burbank, California.

TBC…

Honestly, Laura's graphics really make the story pop! I recommend checking them out on Tumblr. Search the Blam tag or fic:OIAL


	4. Shopping and the Studio

**Title:** Once in A Lifetime Chapter 4

**By:** blaineandsamevanderson (SageK here, kaitlia777 on LJ and AO3)

**Graphics and Assistant Brain Stormer**: lauraperfectinsanity

**Paring:** Blaine/Sam

**Rating:** PG

**Summary: **Late Spring, 2014 Sam auditions for a role in a TV show and Blaine comes along for moral support…and that's just the beginning of their adventure!

Authors Notes: I don't know anything about the casting process for a TV show or what the process might be before filming. This is all fiction. I also don't have any affiliation with Glee, Agents of Shield or any of the men and women who are involved with making the show. Again, this is a work of fiction!

* * *

The loud chime of his phone woke Sam from a deep, peaceful slumber and he groaned. He was really comfortable, sprawled on his belly atop the bed, Blaine's warm weight draped half across his back….

What?

Oh, right, they'd fallen asleep while lounging on one of the beds. Obviously, during the night, Blaine had cuddled up to his bare back for warmth in the cool, air conditioned room. It was actually really nice. He could feel Blaine's soft breath between his shoulder blades, the length of his body keeping Sam's side warm…the firm line of flesh pressing into his hip through their shorts made his pulse jump slightly, but he knew it was simply something that happened while sleeping. He was in the same boat, but the matter wasn't urgent. He simply felt comfortable and happy, laying there with Blaine.

If not for the phone, he would have happily drifted back to sleep, maybe had an interesting dream….

Instead, he grabbed the phone and, seeing Kitty's caller ID, thumbed the Facetime option. "Mornin', Kitty."

"Come…," she began, then paused and grinned broadly. "Crawl out from under Blaine and come pick me and Sugar up at the airport. We have stuff to do!"

Sugar's face appeared, squished beside Kitty's, on the tiny screen. "Blaine's on top? Hi Sam! Hi Blaine! Your Instagram pics from yesterday are so cute!"

"Hey," they chorused sleepily and Sam chuckled when Blaine rubbed his face against his shoulder before picking his head up.

"Wait…Did you just tell Sam to come pick you up? As in, you're in LA?" he asked and Sam nodded, equally puzzled.

On the screen, Kitty rolled her eyes. "What, like I'm going to let you two wander into that studio tomorrow without your agent? Now, get your butts to LAX!"

Knowing she would harass them until they did as she demanded, Sam and Blaine stumbled out of bed and dragged on clothes before hailing a taxi. It was only after they had been sitting in the taxi for five minutes that they even thought to wonder why the girls couldn't simply hail their own taxi.

When they arrived at the airport, they found Kitty and Sugar sitting on a bench in the pick up/drop off area, sipping iced coffees and looking pretty in their sundresses. The girls hugged them before they all piled into the taxi.

"Rodeo Drive, please!" Sugar said to the driver, then turned back to Sam and Blaine. "Daddy had our bags sent right to the hotel. So much better than dragging them through the airport like we had to do for Nationals last year!"

"Why are we going…?" Sam began, but Kitty cut him off.

"I don't exactly have anything to wear that screams professional agent," she drawled, then shrugged. "Plus, that's where our hotel is."

Clearly the girls weren't staying at the same hotel as Blaine and Sam.

"Kitty is going to be my life-sized Barbie today!" Sugar said playfully. "I don't suppose you two want to be Kens?"

"No," Blaine answered for both of them. "I don't think we're supposed to dress in any particular way."

She gave a little shrug and Kitty said, "So, as far as my parents know, I'm just out here helping Sugar look for an apartment and vacationing. I don't think they'd understand the whole agent thing."

"I got a spot at Otis College, so I'll be here in LA full-time!" Sugar said excitedly and Sam wrapped an arm around her. It was her first choice for school and they knew she'd been upset to be waitlisted, so she was understandably elated.

The taxi dropped them off at the corner of Dayton and Rodeo and Sam found himself looking up along the famous street. Though it was still fairly early, a few well-dressed men and women were already strolling along the sidewalk, peering into windows occasionally.

"Breakfast first!" Sugar declared, hooking her elbow through Sam's as she began towing him along.

Instead of walking down the street, she led them to the right into a small group of stores. They climbed a wide, stone staircase and, at the top, found a restaurant. A hostess stood by the entrance to an outdoor eating area that contains tables shaded by large umbrellas in shades of red, muted yellow and stripes. She smiled brightly and said, "Good morning! Welcome to 208 Rodeo! Would you care to dine inside or out here on the patio?"

"Outside," Sugar said, glancing back at Kitty who nodded.

They were led to a table and left to read through the menus. Sam thought everything looked really good. When the waitress appeared to offer coffee, tea and strawberry and mint infused water, Sugar ordered a big bowl of fruit salad for the table to share and, as they snacked on that (and the tangy, sweet fruit dip), they decided on what to have for breakfast.

Sam chose a 208 Parfait (with yogurt, granola and mixed berries) while Blaine ordered the classic Brioche French Toast. Sugar selected the Roma Omelette (arugula, Italian chicken sausage, bacon, tomato and fontina cheese) as Kitty wanted the Chocobanana Toast (Brioche French Toast with caramelized banana and Nutella).

Somehow, one of Blaine's slices of French toast found its way onto a small plate in front of Sam.

"Daddy got the Governor suite at the Beverly Wilshire for me and Kitty while we're out here looking for an apartment for me," Sugar said happily as they ate. "I'd rather stay there, I mean hello, it's right on the end of Rodeo Drive, but something on the beach wouldn't be. Where are you two looking?"

"We found a place in Burbank," Sam said as Blaine pulled out his phone and thumbed to the pictures he had taken.

"That's our place," he said happily as Kitty and Sugar peered down at the screen.

After a moment, Sugar asked, "Where's the rest of it?"

Sam chuckled. "That's it."

"We don't need a lot of space," Blaine agreed. "If they pick up our contract for next season, maybe we'll look for something roomier."

The look Kitty and Sugar shared practically screamed, _We're sitting here with a pair of idiots_.

"When you move into your new shoebox?" Kitty asked with a sigh and they spent the rest of breakfast chatting about their apartment and the plans the girls had for the next couple of weeks.

This morning's plan seemed to include lots of shopping. After breakfast, Sugar once again led the charge up Rodeo, banking left into a cluster of stores called the Rodeo Collection.

When Sam saw their destination, he came to a halt. He'd never actually heard of La Pearla, but the lingerie clad mannequins in the window were a dead giveaway. "I don't want to go in there!" Sam hissed. "Sales ladies always give guys nasty looks and think we're perverts."

Beside him, he heard Blaine chuckle and, when he turned to face him, Sam found his friend extending a hand. "Hold my hand and they won't look at you funny," Blaine offered, seeming amused. "They don't give the stink eye to the gay friends."

Relieved, Sam grabbed Blaine's hand, lacing their fingers together and noting, as always, how well they fit together. Sometimes, while they were watching TV, they found themselves accidentally holding hands. It was nice and neither of them minded, so they never made a big deal about it.

Holding Blaine's hand in public felt just as natural and right. No one gave them the evil eye at La Perla and they could clutch at each other for support as Kitty and Sugar tried on an insane amount of expensive, lacy things. Sam initially winced when the girls would ask their opinions, complaining that is was like seeing a cousin half naked.

Kitty, standing there in a black El Color Rojo Balconette Bra and matching Calle De La Pasion Boyshorts, raised a brow at him and commented, ""Just think of it as a bathing suit. Besides, you run around half naked all the time."

"And we encourage and support that life choice, Sam," Sugar, wearing a pink and white striped silk camisole and shorts, said with a grin. "C'mon boys, give us opinions.

Chuckling, Blaine gave them both a thumbs up and Sam followed suit. That was how they spent another hour before being dragged off to Chanel and Burberry, where Sugar outfitted Kitty in lots of sleek, professional attire.

They were both relieved when they followed the girls back to the Beverly Wilshire and up to their opulent suite to stow the bags. But they only got a few moments to rest on the sofa before they were ushered down to the spa.

"I want you boys to look your best tomorrow, so you're getting the Deluxe Sparkle Package and then some!" Sugar bubble happily, then added, "Kitty and I are getting the same, cuz it's awesome!"

Their day at the spot included a Diamond White Life Infusion Facial, a scalp massage, a Diamond Magnetic Body Ritual, a body scrub, a deep tissue massage, reflexology, a deep conditioning hair mask and a mani/pedi that included paraffin dips.

By the time they got back to their hotel, Sam was sure he'd had enough pampering to last forever. Collapsing onto the bed, he groaned, "I think they scrubbed half of my skin off. I feel all tingly."

Blaine flopped down beside him. "Tingly in a good way though… And you have to admit that the massage was amazing."

Nodding in agreement, Sam wiggled his fingers. "They were so confused when I wouldn't let them use that cheese grater thing on my calluses." He wasn't going to let them tear away the skin roughened by years of playing guitar.

"Good call," Blaine agreed with a yawn, his own soft fingers brushing against Sam's rougher digits.

Rolling toward him, Sam let his arm drape over his best friend's waist before sleep claimed him as well.

* * *

Seeing Kitty in action the next morning was shocking. She picked them up at their hotel, looking crisp in a black pencil skirt, a white blouse and sky high heels. The overall effect made her look sophisticated and sleek, still young, but people probably wouldn't guess that she had just finished her junior year of high school.

At the studio in Burbank, they met with some of the producers (Blaine hoped he managed not to look like too much of a gibbering fan boy when they briefly got to meet Joss Whedon), where Kitty took point during the business portions and then went off some people from the legal department while Blaine and Sam were led off to wardrobe.

"Let me see when I'm working with," Ann, the head costume designer for the show, said after introducing herself. She had printouts of Billy/Wiccan and Teddy/Hulkling from the Young Avengers comics on the wall and she looked from the pictures to them and back. "Well, the casting folks pulled you right out of the test tubes at their secret genetic engineering lab, didn't they?"

She was looking at Sam as she said it and he blinked before saying, "I was born in Nashville."

That earned a chuckle and a murmur of, "Oh, you're adorable." Then she got down to business. "I'm going to need to take your measurements and some reference pictures for the preliminary costume construction. You'll have to come back for fittings and redesigns, of course, but as we're filming in a little over a month we need to get started."

"And I'll need to get a good scan of your body," Mark, a digital artist said, waving some kind of wand at Sam. "Either in a body suit or your underwear. We need your base structure to build the Hulkling transformation on."

Because Sam was Sam, he stripped down to his black boxer briefs without any embarrassment and Blaine looked him over with a smile. He looked as perfect as always and, after living on top of each other for nearly a year, Blaine no longer had any reservations about occasionally (always) checking Sam out, especially since Sam liked the attention.

Once they were finished with wardrobe, they were sent to hair and makeup, where Scott and Cheri set them in chairs and made notes as they took pictures.

"Your eyes are gorgeous," Cheri commented to Blaine, who smiled at the complement.

From where Scott was examining his hair, Sam chuckled and stretched out an arm to poke Blaine's shoulder. "How many times have I told you that, dude?"

Blaine laughed, but grew quiet when Scott muttered, "Pretty eyes, terrible choice in hairstyle… And you, Sam, are really working this long hair, but we're going to have to cut it."

The nod Sam gave was placid. They had discussed the fact that Teddy had a short, All-American hairstyle as opposed to Sam's own long locks.

Before they were released from hair and makeup, Sam's hair was cropped in a style similar to the one he'd worn at the beginning of senior year and all the product had been washed from Blaine's curls replaced only with a refining serum. Scott had spent a long moment staring at him, a flat iron in hand before he nodded and snapped a few pictures of his hair as it was.

"I think they'll go with your natural hair," the stylist commented with a smile at him. "If anyone insists, we'll take some shots with it flat iron… But they won't."

After that, they were sent off to meet with a member of the show's PR/advertising team. She grilled them about information that could be released when the already rampant interest in them intensified.

She blinked a bit when they said the articles that have been popping up did have some facts right. They were roommates. Blaine was gay. Sam was bi. They were best friends and had been since high school, but no, they weren't dating.

They didn't know where the gossip magazines have gotten all their information, but Maria simply shook her head fondly. "It's the digital age. They probably googled you, stalked your Facebook, Twitter, any YouTube videos that might exist," she told them. "You're public figures now. The media will be following your every move, so be careful what you post."

That made sense, though it wasn't a good thought and Sam nodded beside him.

They spent a good while longer with Maria before they reconnected with Kitty and left the studio. Sugar met them for dinner after what she claimed to have been a very successful day of shopping.

Together, they celebrated, toasting to many such days to come.

TBC….


	5. Movin' In

"Two young men! If her father was still the property manager he never would have allowed this!"

"Oh, really Lizzie, it's none of our business if…."

"Psshh! I don't care about that! I'm talking about loud parties, parades of girls and general youthful shenanigans."

While her friends argued, Dorothy Jenkins peered over the side of her balcony, watching the two young, clean cut men (barely more than boys), carry a large, wooden…well, it was clearly part of a piece of furniture, but Dottie couldn't tell what it might be. There were two girls of a similar age with them, neither making an attempt to help lift anything heavy.

Though they were too far away to hear what they were saying, Dottie took note of the body language between the four of them. Clearly they were all close friends, but there was nothing to suggest either girl was a girlfriend. They all touched each other easily, in that physically affectionate way that was so common now, but it was all innocent…though the boys did linger when touching each other.

Well, that was fine in her book. She'd lived in California her whole life and she'd seen love in all kinds of pairings. At least the gays tended to be tidy.

Her estimation of the two boys went up when she watched them practically trip over themselves to rush to the aid of Rita Sanchez, who was trying to wrangle a couple of grocery bags and her twin great grandbabies. In a moment, the tall blond had a toddler in each arm, clearly familiar with how to hold a little one, and the brunet had the grocery bags and was chattering brightly at Rita.

"What do you think, Snowflake?" she asked her Ragdoll cat softly, stroking the animals luxurious fur. Snowflake responded with a purr, glad for a chance to relax. 7 weeks ago, she'd had kittens and the 7 babies were very energetic. Dottie could see a few of them, wrestling inside the sliding glass door.

"They're helpful at least," Mary Louise commented approvingly and Dottie saw the others were watching the boys with similarly thoughtful expressions.

Maybe having some young blood in the building wasn't such a bad thing after all… but she'd observe them a bit more before making her final decisions.

* * *

"Well, I've seen Ugg boot boxes that this whole place could fit into, but I have to admit that it's very…Blam," Kitty said and Blaine grinned at her as she surveyed the fruits of the last two weeks labors. Their finished bunk bed was in place and they had purchased a new sofa and chair (plus a bunch of battered wooden pieces that Sam had refinished) Their TV and other personal effects had arrived (Santana shipped them out once they told her they had found a place) and were neatly arranged.

Ritchie had come by special courier and his habitat was set up on the shorter dresser that separated the bedroom and living room. Atop the taller dresser (really, it was a bookcase, but they were using it for storage), they had arranged a collection of Spider Plants, Areca Palms and Gerber Daisies.

From where he was smoothing a Tardis skin on the door of the closet, Sam laughed, "Of course it's us. Who else would it be?"

Sugar, curled up on the cushioned reading nook attached to the bunk beds, said, "It just…you two have an unusual mix of super hot man candy and celibacy ensuring nerdiness going on."

The shelves beside her were full of a variety of knick knacks. Blaine's cameras, phrenology head and old tin robots. Sam's mini telescope, pewter pyramid and a small, obviously well lover Eeyore doll. There were action figures and collectables, a model of Serenity, Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead and a couple of toy lightsabers, and a few books…all in all a pretty awesome display.

"Are you saying people are going to find our apartment too nerdy to be interested in us?" Blaine asked, smoothing the dark blue comforter over his lower bunk. Left to his own devices, without his mother or her decorator, he had still chosen traditional bedding, livening it up with matching Doctor Who pillowcases.

He was a little jealous that Sam had gone all out and covered the top bunk with an Avengers bedspread.

"I'd say you should avoid bringing your hump buddies home if you want to keep them around," Kitty advised. "Let them get to know you so you have the chance to grow on them like strangely happy fungi. You're both really, really good at that."

"Aw, we grew on Kitty!" Sam cooed, advancing on Kitty and wrapping her in a hug, complete with a loud kiss on her cheek.

"Nooooo!" Kitty giggled. "Sugar, help!"

Sugar's idea of helping was to jump onto Sam's back, laughing as she hugged him around the neck.

Blaine watched them for a moment, amused by their antics, until Sam released Kitty. He barely seemed to notice Sugar, supporting her weight as easily as a backpack.

"Have you met your neighbors?" Kitty asked, strolling around the shelving unit they had used to separate the living room and bedroom. "I'm happy to note that the faint eau de BenGay and encroaching elderly death has been aired out of here."

"Kitty, that's not nice!" Blaine exclaimed. "Our neighbors are lovely. We had lunch with Dottie the other day, I spent an hour yesterday talking with Rita out in the garden and I know Sam fixed the snapped hinge on Kathy and Paul's door and they had us over for tea."

Resting her chin on Sam's shoulder, Sugar asked, "Isn't that the building superintendent's job?"

"Who knows how long that might have taken?" Sam reasoned with a shake of his head. "It was an easy fix."

Sugar laughed as Sam deposited her on the couch by Kitty and she picked up a pillow bearing the image of a star field and bopped Sam on the stomach with it. "I'm taking that to mean I can count on you when I need something fixed around my house?"

"You know it!" Sam agreed, causing Kitty to chuckle.

"Sam Evans, TV star and handyman," she mused as Blaine stood and crossed to the fridge, pulling out a Hansen's Mandarin Orange Cane Soda. "I'll take one of those."

With a smile, Blaine brought each of his friends a soda before settling down in the chair. Sam perched on the arm and Blaine grinned up at him.

"Back to me being the best agent ever," Kitty said, popping open her can of soda. "Guess who got you an article and photo spread in OUT, Blaine? That would be me."

Blaine gaped at her. "What?!"

"Way to go, Kitty!" Sam said cheerily and Sugar clapped her hands, beaming. "And way to go, Blaine!"

"Why do they want…," he began, but Kitty waved him off.

She pointed at him and ticked off points on her fingers. "Young, hot, talented, out and on a major network TV show playing a canon gay character," she said, smiling triumphantly. "Gee, can't imagine why they want to grab you up and declare you the little boy king."

"You'll do awesome," Sam assured him. "The camera totally loves you."

Coming from Sam, a professional model, that was more than a little reassuring.

They talked for a while longer before a knock on the door made Sam hop up to answer it. "Hi, Dottie! Hi, Ruth!"

Two of their neighbors wandered in and Blaine hopped up with a smile. "Hi, ladies," he greeted them brightly. "Can I take anything?"

Both of the women were carrying things, Dottie a cardboard box and Ruth a platter of cookies. "Thank you, dear," Ruth said, handing him the cookies, which he placed on the counter.

"Ladies, meet our friends, Kitty and Sugar," Sam said politely. "Girls, this is Dottie and Ruth, two of our neighbors."

Greetings were exchanged and Ruth settled on the couch with Sugar and Kitty while Dottie sat on the chair, offering Blaine the box she held. "I brought you boys a little house warming gift…and the place looks lovely, by the way."

"Thank you," Blaine replied, setting the box down and lifting the lid. "Oh!" he gasped upon seeing what was inside.

Sitting on a soft looking cloth were two small ragdoll kittens. They peered up at him with luminous blue eyes and one waved a tiny paw at him.

"I thought you boys seemed to bond with the kittens when we had lunch," Dottie said as Sam joined Blaine and scooped up a kitten. "Think of them as welcome to the building presents."

Blaine picked up the other, cuddling it to his chest. "They're gorgeous!" he exclaimed. "Dottie, thank you!"

She nodded, clearly pleased by the reaction. "You've got the boy Blaine, Sam's is a girl."

Sam's kitten was already perched on his broad shoulder, little face pressed to his ear, purring as Sam grinned. It was such an adorable sight that Blaine's heart jumped.

Normally, Sam was breathtaking, but add a tiny kitten….

Yeah, that was just….

"Can I get you ladies some tea?" Sam was asking and Dottie and Ruth both nodded happily.

"Tea all around," Kitty said with a grin, holding out her hands for Sam's kitten. "I'll hold her while you're busy. Let me commune with my own kind."

"I'll hold the other one. I just want to play with him," Sugar said and Blaine handed her the kitten with a smile. "What are you going to name her?"

That question led to a discussion that continued on through tea (which was accompanied by Ruth's awesome cookies). Sugar thought Beyonce and Jay Z were good names, while Kitty lobbied for Victoria and David. Dottie and Ruth were very amused and wondered what happened to naming cats Fluffy.

In the end, Blaine wound up naming his kitten, so fond of waving his little paws in the air, Wolverine and Sam dubbed his Storm.

Kitty rolled her eyes and affectionately called them nerds.

After Ruth and Dottie left, Kitty and Sugar watched the kittens while Sam and Blaine, armed with a list of kitten essentials, found the nearest PetCo.

Kittens needed a lot of stuff.

Later in the evening, after the girls went back to their hotel, Sam assembled the climbing tower for the kittens. They weren't quite ready to climb to the top yet, but they spent a long time happily exploring the lower levels.

The day ended with the four of them happily cuddled up on Blaine's bottom bunk. Sam reasoned the kittens needed to be together as it was their first night away from their brothers and sisters, so the exhausted kittens curl up on a pillow, their little bodies rising with each breath.

They were adorable.

Sam drifted off first, breath slowing, and he slipped and arm around Blaine, pulling him close. With a sleepy sigh, Blaine closed his eyes.

It had been an awesome day.

* * *

TBC... Seriously, the fic is missing something without Laura's awesome graphics! They're all on tumblr!


End file.
